The Magic Shop adventures
by Lady Ice
Summary: Okay, this has appearences by Enchanted Forest characters, there will be more, but there will also be characters from other books


The Magic Shoppe  
The door of the shop swung open and I got a got a good look at my customer. He was about sixteen and dressed like the average teenager. I knew at once there was nothing special to him. This was strange, most of my customers were magicians and other types of magic users from other humanoid worlds. I rarely had customers from 20th century Earth.   
  
The boy appeared to be browsing. Another odd occurrence. No one browsed through my shop, it was unheard of. Buying something one had no idea how to use was a death wish when meddling with magic. He walked past the monkey's paw display. He read my warning, put the paw down and walked over to the counter.   
  
"What do you sell?" He asked. He was very confused.   
  
"I sell an assortment of magical implements. Genie bottles, monkey's paws, and ingredients vital to spells most magicians use. What are you doing little one?" When one has lived for hundreds of years one doesn't mind teasing people.   
"I'd like to buy something interesting. I'm bored. I want something fun to do." The little fool said.   
  
I smiled inwardly. How blatant a cry for trouble was that? "Well then, pick something out." I turned back to the history I was studying.  
  
He looked around, picked up a book that I had recently shelved, put it back and then picked up a small figure of a Celtic warrior. He read the warning.  
  
  
  
  
Chrissie's Magic Shop  
  
For those who would dare meddle with magic and purchase a figure, TAKE WARNING.  
  
RULES OF OWNING A FIGURE   
  
1) BE CERTAIN you know what you are doing when you summon the figure for your companion.  
  
2) Certain figures will cause unimaginable trouble even though they stay two inches tall. I must advise against usage.  
  
3) If you have any questions about what you are doing please, feel free to ask me.  
  
4) If there are questions, concerns or complaints, see me. I will do what I can. However I must remind you that you are responsible for removing the figure from my shop. I have given you the warnings and directions.  
  
5) If you take these warnings seriously and have not yet summoned the figure, come back to my shop, place the unsummoned article in my hand, and you will receive a full refund.  
  
  
  
The boy looked quite disturbed when he came back to the counter with doll and paper in his hand. "What are you kidding me?"  
  
I looked at him over the page of my book.   
  
"Do you think I'm going to fall for this? What kind of scam are you running here?"  
  
"Scam?" I said, feigning interest. "Whatever do you mean?"  
  
"Well, first of all how do you expect to sell any thing with the dangerous 'warnings'?"  
  
"You would be surprised at how many people buy things and then come and whine afterward. I'm just protecting myself from getting sued. Besides, the real fun is in casting."  
  
"Second, you shouldn't let just any old person walk in here. If anyone dangerous came in, they could make things miserable for us."  
  
"Are you going to buy that, or do I have to ask you to leave?"  
  
"I'm still looking! Grief!" He returned the figure and resumed his browsing.   
  
This child was getting on my nerves. I was glad no one was there to hear his prattling. I know how to handle customers. I wouldn't allow anyone but the most noted magicians buy anything more than tricks, annoyances, parlor games, and of course, the occasional moral tool. The spell books are mine. I only lend them out and then I can always recollect them.   
  
The fool came back with a book. My special book. And a different figure.   
  
"I'm ready" he said. "I want to know how to make this figure my friend." He showed me a figure of a boy. I smiled. The scholar. Someone was too lazy to do his schoolwork. And he thought he was going to buy an easy way out. Think again.  
  
" The spell is in the book. But you cannot keep it. All of the books are mine to lend. Have it back by tomorrow or I will come and get it."  
  
"That's a rip off. If I buy this why can't I keep the directions?"  
  
"Because, small, pesky child, the books are part of my library. I retain the right to fetch property back from people who steal it. And I will. Have it back by tomorrow, Mark Hoft or I will have to give you what you deserve."  
  
"How did you know my name?" The kid asked, startled.   
  
"Don't ask." I said as I bagged up his purchase. "Five dollars."  
  
"Five dollars? For a piece of wood? Are you nuts?"  
  
"No but you are garrulous." He handed over the money and backed toward the door.   
  
"Will the place still be here if I come back?"1"Yes." I turned my back on him and he left.****It was about three that Saturday when my partner returned to the shop. I filled him in on the events of the morning. "Chrissie! That boy is going to cause so much trouble!" Jack admonished."How could he? First of all if he uses the figure it isn't going to help him. The Scholar writes so small that it can't be seen by a teacher to be passed in as homework. What other possible use for him could there be?"   
  
"Okay, it makes sense, but what happens if he tells all his friends about us and our store is flooded with whining ninth graders?"   
  
"Mark will come in tomorrow with our book. He probably will have some questions. If there is no immediate problem, we can observe what goes on through the figure's spell. When a problem comes up we can remind Mark that we can help."   
  
"Chrissie," Jack started nervously "Let's just say that he does tell his friends, how do we get rid of the brats? I can't handle dealing with acting as champion for the interdimensional diplomatic corps, partnership in running the universal magic supply shop, defending home and having said shop overrun by ignorant kids."  
  
Just then a customer walked through the door. We listened for a moment and immediately knew who it was. Telmain the magician, friend to King Mendanbar of the Enchanted Forest.2Up to his usual technical jargon, Telmain was muttering something over one of the books. Telmain, although being a friend had a knack for forgetting things occasionally.   
  
"Hey Telmain." Jack greeted him. "I hope you're not casting anything."   
  
Telmain looked up with a start. "Not after I tried the first time. I have no appreciation for being caught in one of your spells, Christine." Telmain smiled. This was a joke. We knew that he knew the consequences of casting on our property. People had a tendency to overreact when meeting Jaws or Angel.  
  
"How can we help you?"  
  
"I need to borrow your the history you wrote on firewitches.2"  
  
Jack and I exchanged looks. "Why?" I asked point blank. The last time someone got a hold of my book they tried to start an anti-firewitch mob to kill off all firewitches. I'm all for free press, but there are certain situations where caution is necessary.  
  
"The King wants to help a friend of the family who happens to be a firewitch." Telmain stated.  
  
"No. Not after last time. Maybe we could help, if they would stop by. Is there anything else?" These people were our friends but still things happen.  
  
"Yeah I need some gwythiant3 scales. I working on a quite fascinating spell for countering-.""Here they are!" Jack quickly pulled a small wooden chest off the shelf before Telmain could go into one of his technical explanations. He tended to drag on for hours sometimes.While I rang up his purchase Telmain was telling Jack about magic mirrors that had become popular lately. "Telmain, how are you getting home?" Jack asked.  
  
"My ring." He said and pointed out a gem on his finger.  
  
"Why don't you let us send you home?" Jack said to Telmain. Mentally he said to me *Send him through the Gates.* I smiled and concentrated for a moment. Telmain disappeared as if he was never there. "He's going to have fun trying to figure out how we did that."  
  
"Yeah. I'm going to make dinner, want something?" Jack shook his head. "You take over." I headed to the rooms behind the store.  
  
****  
When Chrissie left I admit that I had misgivings about the whole business with Hoft and the figure. I had no idea why she had sold him one so I decided to see how things were going.  
  
The spell placed on the figure was set up so that we could see through the figure's eyes and monitor what was going on. When I looked through the glass I saw an extremely messy bedroom. From the floor it was hard to tell whether Hoft was in the room but I soon heard him moving around. 'What are you doing with it?' I wondered. Then the sheer horror of what Chrissie had allowed to happen hit me.  
  
  
  
  
1 This story, while it is not to the letter the same, it is very much like Bruce Coville's Magic Shop Series. In said series the shop moved around. Mine will not. I will not just sell to kids, but to other characters. Check out Covilles books, they are hours of fun.  
2 All references to Telmain, Mendanbar and the Enchanted Forest can be found in Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest Quartet. Try to read these books. They are excellent.3 Gwythiants can be found in Lloyd Alexander's Prydain trilogy.  



End file.
